With a heavy batch of snow piling up much more to come, the conditions are prime for a rash of power outages.

“Whenever we get lots of heavy when snow and snow blowing, that’s a recipe for power outages,” said Brian Adam, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gaylord. “The snow builds up on branches and power lines and can cause a lot of problems.”

Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op reported Thursday evening that downed trees and braches by the heavy wet snow had caused power outages to about 2,300 households in its service area.

There still are about 1,200 members still without power as of 4:45 p.m. Thursday.

According to a co-op press release, the removal of fallen trees and branches on lines is a slow process because the crews must take the lines down.

If anyone serviced by the co-op loses power or see a downed line, they should call 1-800-423-6634 immediately.

The nasty weather is expected to persist into the early morning hours Saturday, which means now is a good time to rummage through the house for power outage supplies.

“It’s important that we take time to plan for dealing with severe weather,” said Gary Rochow, Consumers Energy vice president of energy delivery. “Being prepared can minimize the impact of a storm and help you and your family to stay safe.”

Winter arrived in full force Thursday, closing area schools and blanketing though ground with a fresh coat of snow, just in time for the holiday weekend.

“This is a pretty significant winter storm,” said Brian Adam, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gaylord. “In the Cheboygan area, you’re probably looking at snow fall totals around a foot.”

Amazingly, Cheboygan will likely be on the light end as far as snowfall totals go. Higher elevations could see some jaw-dropping snow banks by the end of the day today.

“Terrain is going to play a pretty big part in this,” Adam added. “Areas of higher terrain could be looking at as much as 16 inches of snow.”

Along with the snow, heavy winds are expected to kick up throughout the day. The combination of wet snow and high wind gusts are an unfortunate combination for area power lines.

“This is the kind of weather we see with power outages,” Adam said. “Especially if the winds are strong.”

Downed power lines won’t be the only danger over the next 24 hours. Road conditions will be downright treacherous is some areas, as sloppy snow freezes and creates a glazing of ice on roadways. This comes at the worst possible time. Christmas is only three days away, making this a prime weekend for holiday travel.

“It’s going to be pretty nasty out there for a little while,” explained Adam. “If people can hold out until Saturday, things should clear up.”

Cheboygan County Road Commission Managing Director Mike Roper said instead of having had road crews stay late on Thursday, they were coming in early this morning, starting at 5 a.m. instead of 7 a.m. As a result, their shift would conclude two hours earlier, but Roper said they will work longer if necessary.

“It’s costly, but it’s also exciting,” Roper said of the expected snowfall. “We are due for snow, especially with Christmas week coming up. I’m really glad it’s coming, but I hope no one has trouble driving. We want to remind motorists to watch for the trucks out there and use caution.”

The full road crew will be out today, and the five seasonal drivers who are typically on-call may also be working, Roper noted.

“We are expecting we will get another whack of (the storm) overnight (from Thursday to Friday),” Roper said.

Thursday had crews out applying some salt and blading the roads, due to the slushy, wet conditions. Salt is intended for paved roads to melt ice, especially at intersections or in curvy or hilly areas. Sand is used on gravel roads for traction.

Page 2 of 2 - The same conditions stifling drivers are forcing airports to cancel flights. Both the Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City and the Pellston Regional Airport are reporting flight cancelations due to the weather.

Though this first winter storm is being greeted with distain from some, many others are rejoicing at the prospects of winter recreation during the long holiday weekend. Skiers and snowmobilers should be able to hit the slopes and trails respectively in the coming days.

This is good news for Michigan tourism economy.

Michigan attracts between 2 and 2.4 million skiers each winter, according to Mickey MacWilliams, executive director for the Michigan Snowsports Industries Association. This and other winter travel accounts for nearly one-third of the $17.7 billion annually generated by Michigan’s travel industry.